MANCHESTER CITY’s struggle to meet UEFA’s forthcoming financial fair play rules was underlined when they announced losses of £97.9million for their Premier League title-winning season.

And Abu Dhabi billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour has put another £169m of his personal fortune into the club to keep them out of debt.

City’s revenue soared to £231.1m – up from £150m – and the highest in the club’s history. It resulted in losses being more than halved from the previous season’s £197.5m. But they still have a long way to go to meet UEFA’s impending new rules, which will allow clubs to post losses of only £40m from the start of the 2014-15 season.

It is important to recognise the ongoing influence of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak

Their annual statement for the year ending May 31, 2012 said the “capital base has also been strengthened through the issuing of £169m in new equity during the year, avoiding debt-based funding and continuing to ensure that the club is virtually debt free”.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: “It is important to recognise the ongoing influence of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed on the rapid transformation that is taking place.

“2011-12 will always be remembered as a particularly significant year in the history of the club, a season when we demonstrated an ability to win in even the most challenging of circumstances.”